Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-09-04
THE DOUBLE COUSINS.

IA ppm o."
comfortable. I advisedly put herself
first, for she held that without personal
practice Of the art success with others
wa impossible. She was to be found,
then, one night tucked cozily into a long,
comfortable black wicker chair, the seat
Of which was of such a length that her
wee person could only be satisfactorily
accommodated on it by the adjuncts of q
stool and a cushion. Into the soft re-
cesses of the latter her pretty head sank
o trifie YEARLY. Her hands were folded
idly ON her lap and she was gazing in q
lazy, dreamy manner into the fire.
There had been a shooting party in the
house, which had broken up that morn
ing, and the occupant Of the opposite
chair was the solitary remaining guest
Jessie Vernon.
Dora Maclean's old school fellow and
bosom friend was a distinctly pretty girl
of one or two and twenty. Some min
utes passed before either spoke. The
fair little hostess was the first to speak.
ssAt last" she murmured. Fancy,
Jessie, your having been in the house q
whole week without our having had one
word in private. Entertaining and being
entertained pals On n after a time. /
don't know which was the dullest affair
today, Sir wlloughby's shooting lunch
con, or Mrs. Conger's stiff and starch
dinner party, with that insufferably long
country drive over bad roads,"
The little woman stiled a yawn as she
spoke.
s.Have it out, Dora; there is no one
but me . see," recommended Jessie;
and, setting the example, she INDUCED
IN a prolonged yawn.
s.Oh. Jessie; don't!" pleaded Mrs. Mac
lean; you will set me off; and if once l
begin / may as well go to bed straight
way, and give up all idea of a chat for
tonight; for l know l shan't stop in a
hurry" and rousing herself she inquired,
abruptly, (which is it TO be, tell me,
Claud or CecilT"
what do you mean ?" asked the girl,
with a puzzled air, though the slow color
assumed ignorance.
s.As il you didn't know! Which is the
favored swain, my dearp Both seemed
equally devoted, and the whole place is
excited TO know the result"
Really, Dora, l thought better of you
than to suppose that you would allow me
to be a subject Of gossip in your house.
said Jessie, in tones of annoyance.
"Allow you to be a subject for gossip,
my dear; how can / help it? If you will
Airt so outrageously, you must expect
people to talk" retorted Mrs. Maclean,
aaring up In her turn
Jessie bit her lip, and then answered,
reproachfully, ''Et tn, Brute" This UNI
expected reproof was too much for the
warm hearted little Dora. She sprang
up impulsively, and throwing her arms
round her friend exclaimed:
Don't think l am blaming you, dear.
You are not tied to any man. Why
shouldn't you fiirt with any number you
like? Only do tell me which of the two
Standishes you prefer"
'As if there could be any doubt, re-
Joined Jessie. still rather petulantly.
Il hope there can't" answered her
friend, a trife gravely, as she resumed
her seat. George says that Cecil bears
a very bad character"-
Cecil. he is a perfect horror" inter-
fupted Jessie.
Mrs. Maclean heaved a sigh of relief.
IL am thankful you don't like him;
but tell me, has Claud ~proposed!"
''No, he hasn't" was the laconic re-
ply; and Jessie took up the ivory hair.
brush from her lap and began to ply it,
as though TO conclude the subject, but
Mrs. Maclean was not to be put off.
'qGeorge says" she resumed, after a
pause. during which she had been con-
sidering how TO renew the attack success
fully, THAT Cecil is a mauvais sujetl
Certainly there never wa a greater diff
ference between cousins, and such double
cousins. too!'
''What do you mean by double cousins,
Doraf" laughed Miss Vernon, reused at
last.
why. their fathers were brothers,
and their mothers were sisters! Two
brothers married two sisters; so, don't
you see, they are cousins twice over
and really next door to brothers?"
at Is curious, - observed the girl.
"Ah. but that is not ALL" pursued her
companion eagerly; ''they are both only
children, and their mothers being CO
beiresses, both inherit fortunes. Jessie,
you are not attending one bit. ] believe
you are going to sleep. Don't you see,
you tiresome girl. that ! am dying to
know all about your affairss"
Jessie smiled.
THAT is plain to the meanest capac-
ity," she remarked: ''Only, unfortu-
nately, | have nothing 10 confide."
Nothing 10 confidef" echoed Dora;
when you have hardly spoken 10 any one
for the last week but n or other OF
those two Standishesl"
''What Of that? / suppose you don't
expect me 10 give you a rechauffe OF all
those two men said? II is stale enough
ct first hand withou. being dished up
again. Iwish men would strike out some.
thing original. Really, when they make
love one would suppose they had all had
the same father and mother"
ut was odd that neither proposed, "
unused Dora.
''Why odd?' questioned Jessie, saw
agely, Attentions and offers are very
different things. Here have I been out
three years, and l have had more than
my share of the former, but not a single
offer. How on earth do you bring a mar
10 the point, Dora2 IL Is a mystery 10
mn. They come by sboals 10 the very
serse Of q proposal. and then sheer or"